This invention relates to adaptors for pluggable data connector sockets, to enable one or more pluggable connectors together with an additional cord, to be connected to a single pluggable data connector socket. By the term pluggable data connector or pluggable telecommunications connector (PTC) there is herein meant to include any pluggable connector for use in telecommunications in general, including telephone, telex, computer data links, etc,.
An adaptor for pluggable telephone connector sockets is known which comprises a housing in which is contained a printed circuit board with various components such as sockets, plugs, wires, etc attached thereto. EP0018654 describes an adaptor in which two pluggable telephone connectors may be received, wire-like contacts extending from one connector to the other. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement to this type of adaptor.
Accordingly there is provided an adaptor for a pluggable data connector socket, the adaptor comprising an insulating housing, the housing comprising a plug region adapted to be received within an associated pluggable data connector socket, at least one socket region including a plug receiving cavity and an aperture through which an associated pluggable data connector may be introduced into the plug receiving cavity, and a cord receiving region including a cord receiving cavity and an associated entrance through which a plurality of insulated conductors may be introduced into the cord receiving cavity; and a plurality of contacts, each contact comprising a plug portion received within the plug region of the housing and being adaped to make an electrical connection with a corresponding contact of the associated pluggable data connector socket, at least one socket portion extending into the plug receiving cavity of a socket region of the housing and being adapted to make an electrical connection with a corresponding contact of the associated pluggable data connector when it is introduced into the plug receiving cavity, and a terminating portion extending into the cord receiving cavity and being adapted to penetrate the insulating covering of one of the insulated conductors to make an electrical connection with the conductor therein; wherein the plug portion, the or each socket portion and the terminating portion are all provided by a single integral contact.
This type of adaptor allows an additional cord to be connected to a socket, thereby allowing further remote sockets to be installed if required. This may, for example, be used to provide extension telephone sockets in addition to the master line jack unit.
Conceivably the plug portion, the or each socket portion and the terminating portion are welded one to another to form an integral contact. More preferably each of the plurality of contacts comprises an integral stamped and formed contact. By whichever method the integral contacts are formed, there is provided an adaptor in which all the electrical connections are made via a plurality of single integral contacts, and the requirement for a circuit board and other components is thereby eliminated.
Conveniently there is provided an additional plug receiving cavity in which an additional pluggable data connector may be received, and each contact includes an additional socket portion extending into the additional plug receiving cavity and being adapted to make an electrical connection with the corresponding contact of the additional pluggable data connector when it is introduced into the additional plug receiving cavity. With this type of adaptor more than one piece of telecommunications equipment may be connected to a single socket.
The terminating portion of each contact which is used to penetrate the insulating covering of the insulated conductors is conveniently either an Insulation Piercing (IPC) Contact or an Insultion Displacement (IDC) Contact.
In one convenient arrangement there is provided an adaptor for a pluggable data connector socket, the adaptor comprising an insulating housing, the housing comprising a plug region adapted to be received within an associated pluggable data connector socket, first and second socket regions each including a plug receiving cavity and an aperture through which an associated pluggable data connector may be introduced into a respective plug receiving cavity, and a cord termination region including a cord receiving cavity and an associated aperture through which a plurality of insulated conductors may be introduced into the cord receiving cavity; and a plurality of contacts, each contact comprising a plug portion received within the plug region of the housing and being adapted to make an electrical connection with a corresponding contact of the associated pluggable data connector socket, first and second socket portions one extending into each plug receiving cavity of the first and second socket regions of the housing and each being adapted to make an electrical connection with the corresponding contact of an associated pluggable data connector when it is introduced into a respective plug receiving cavity, and a terminating portion extending into the cord receiving cavity and being adapted to penetrate the insulating covering of one of the insulated conductors and make an electrical connection with a conductor therein; wherein the plug portion, the first and second socket portions and the terminating portion are all provided by a single integral contact.
This arrangement of adaptor provides both a second local socket, and an additional cord connection to enable further remote sockets to be installed.